Thill-coupling.



(UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN M. BRYANT, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH L. HENRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,550, dated October 1, 1901.

Application filed June 27, 1901, Serial No. 66,185. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom, it 77MLZ/ concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lhill-Oouplings and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved coupling for thills, poles, &c.; and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claim.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view, principally in side elevation but with some parts sectioned, showing a portion of a pair of thills and the front axle of a vehicle, said parts being connected by one of my improved couplings. Fig. 2 shows the thin-coupling in side elevation with its parts opened up. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the coupling with its parts in the position indicated in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 03 :0 of Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates a portion of the thills to which one of a pair of metal straps 2 is rigidly secured in the ordinary or any suitable way-as, for instance, by the nutted bolt 3.

The numeral 4 indicates the front axle of a vehicle. This axle 1 is provided with ordinary thill-coupling brackets 7, which are secured to the said axle in the ordinary or any suitable wayas, for instance, by means of the yoke-clips 8 and cooperating clampingbars 9 and nuts 10. A coupling-bolt 11 is passed through the ears of the bracket 7. A split bushing 12, of leather or rubber, is preferably placed on the bolt 11 between the ears of the brackets 7.

As shown, the coupling involves a pair of pivotally'connected jaws 13 and 14, which are formed with cooperating semicylindrical seats 15. Also, as shown, the jaw-section 13 is formed integral with the thill strap or iron 2. lVhen the jaws 13 and 14: are closed, their seats 15 will closely engage and tightly clamp the bushing 12. The clamping-jaws 13 and 14 are secured in their closed or clamping positions by a lock of novel construction, the preferred construction of whichis illustrated in the drawings. Of the parts of this look the numeral 16 indicates a link, which, as shown, is pivoted to the clamping-jaw 13 and embraces the free end of the clamping-jaw 14, but is adapted to be swung clear of the free end of the same to permit of the opening of the clamping-jaws. The other member of the lock is afforded by a U-shaped springlever 17, which at one end is pivotally connected to the free end of said link 16 and at its other or free end is adapted to engage a notch or shoulder 18 in the free endof said swinging jaw 14. When the free end of the spring-lever 17 is engaged with the notch 18, it serves as a fulcrum upon which the said lever rocks to lock or to release the coupling. To look the coupling, the free end of the spring-lever 17 is placed against the notch or shoulder 18 at the free end of the clampingjaw 13, and the said spring-lever is then turned rearward and upward until it reaches the position indicated in Fig. 1, in which position the said lever is thrown beyond a deadcenter-that is, its free or fulcrum-acting end stands forward of a plane intersecting the two pivotal connections to the opposite ends of the link 16. It will be noted that the prong of the spring 17, which projects to afford the free or fulcrum-acting end, is considerably longer than is the other prong of the said spring. This permits the springlever 17 to be thrown beyond a dead-center, with the body thereof projecting approximately at right angles to the link 16. With this construction it follows that when the lever 17 is set as indicated at Fig. l the coupling will remain locked until considerable force has been applied, either to the link or to the said lever, sufficient to throw the said lever downward and forward to the other side of its dead-center. The U-shaped springlever 17 not only afiords means for setting the look, but also serves as a compensating device to take u wear and to adapt the coupling to bushings or to other bearings which vary considerably in size. The coupling is antirattling and may be very easily connected to and disconnected from the cooperating support.

From the foregoing description and statements made it is evident that the device is capable of considerable modification within the scope of my invention. It is, for instance, obvious that the coupling or parts thereof might be turned upside down. For instance, the pivoted jaw and the swinging end of the lock might be located upward of the relatively-fixed member. It is also evident that the coupling, whether used as a thill or pole coupling, may be connected to any form of axle, whether it be of the ordinary type shown or such as used for pneumatic-tired wheels.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is as follows:

A coupling for thills, poles, 850., comprising a pair of pivotally-connected jaws 13 and 14: with cooperating seats 15, said jaw 14: having a notch or shoulder 18 at its free end, and the lock involving the link 16 pivotally connected to said jaw 13, and the U shaped spring-lever 17 pivoted at one end to said link 16 with its free end en gageable with said notch or shoulder 18 as a fulcrum, and adapted to be turned inward beyond a dead-center to set the lock, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. BRYANT.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH KELIHER, F. D. MERCHANT. 

